David Shaw flunks Rose Bowl exam

Stanford head coach David Shaw walks off the field after being defeated by Michigan State after the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
The Associated Press

Stanford head coach David Shaw walks off the field after being defeated by Michigan State after the Rose Bowl NCAA college football game on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

There was no variety in his play-calling, and no learning from previous mistakes. They say the key to resilience in sports is to have a short memory -- but that doesn't mean you should call the same bad run play eight times in a row.

"I'm going to put the ball in the hands of our guys and put it on the offensive line," Shaw said after the game. "Because when I don't do that, everybody goes crazy."

People went crazy when he did that Wednesday -- namely Michigan State fans in celebration. Key offensive situations for Stanford in the second half repeatedly resulted in the Cardinal being stuffed at the line of scrimmage.

The first of these notable no-gains came late in the third quarter, when Stanford went for it on fourth and 3 from the Spartans' 36 with the scored tied 17-17. With Cardinal quarterback Kevin Hogan working out of a shotgun, running back Tyler Gaffney took the handoff on a draw and lost three yards.

Based on the first 13 games of Stanford's season, you could understand Shaw's logic in wanting to ride an All-American running back who accounted for 1,618 yards. But based on the the second and third quarters Wednesday, during which Gaffney gained just 21 yards on 12 carries, giving him the ball seemed synonymous with giving Michigan State the ball.

Didn't matter. This would become the motif of Stanford's second half.

The Cardinal's next drive went as follows: 2-yard run by Gaffney, negative-5-yard run by Gaffney, 2-yard run by Gaffney, punt.

After the Spartans took a 24-17 lead via a 25-yard touchdown pass from Connor Cook to Tony Lippett, the Cardinal's next drive went like this: 5-yard run by Gaffney, 2-yard run by Gaffney, Kevin Hogan incomplete pass, punt.

On its next offensive series, Stanford finally showcased some creativity when Hogan flipped the ball to receiver Michael Rector on a reverse that netted 27 yards. A field goal would follow, but further trickery would not.

On its final drive, the Cardinal ran four straight run plays, the last coming out of a full-house backfield on fourth and 1. It didn't work. Fullback Ryan Hewitt was stopped at the Stanford 34 when MSU's Kyler Elsworth leaped over a blocker to seal the win.

A two-thirds-green stadium erupted soon after. The Spartans capped off its best year since 1966, when they won their second straight national championship, and MSU coach Mark Dantonio roused the fans with an inspired postgame address.

The Cardinal crowd? Not quite as animated. Even the tree mascot looked despondent as it slogged off the field.

Shaw can't shoulder all of the blame for the defeat. Michigan State entered the game ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense and rushing defense.

But at some point, you gotta change it up. At some point, you have to recognize that against certain opponents, your strength can become a weakness.

Hogan had some big throws in the first half and could have been used as a weapon late. Instead, Shaw exemplified Einstein's definition of insanity, and for one half at least, didn't look like much of an Einstein.

Credit Shaw for what he's done with this Cardinal program. In three years as its head coach, he's gone to three BCS bowl games.